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‘It’s Never Been Like This’: Vanishing Waitlist for Once-Coveted ‘Lumberyard Lot’ Parking Permits

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For the first time in at least two decades, town officials are expecting to see zero waitlist for what traditionally has been the most coveted commuter parking permit in New Canaan. As of last week, there were just 25 people left on the waitlist for the “Lumberyard Lot,” according to Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg. The 298-space lot abuts the train station on Elm Street downtown, a far more desirable location for commuters than “outer” municipal lots such as Center School and Locust Avenue. “It’s so surprising, it’s never been like this,” Miltenberg told members of the Parking Commission during their regular meeting, held March 5 at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

On recent afternoons, Miltenberg said, parking officials counted 40 to 60 open spaces in the Lumberyard. 

There’s “a very  good chance” that the waitlist vanishes entirely, she said. “I will let all those 25 people know and see how many people take it and then after that, I don’t know,” Miltenberg said.

Government

Town Upholds $35 Ticket for ‘No Parking Zone’ Violation

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Town officials on Wednesday night upheld a $35 ticket issued to a Stamford woman who parked in a no parking zone downtown. Jane Shapiro told members of the Parking Commission during an appeal hearing that she “would never normally appeal something like this because obviously I was parked improperly, but I think I had my blinkers on and I have a disabled sticker.”

On the day she was ticketed (12:49 p.m. on Jan. 8, a Wednesday), Shapiro said her knees were hurting and “I couldn’t walk very much.”

“My leg was collapsing and I tried to explain that to the officer but he said, ‘It’s too late, you have to go fight this if you want,’ ” she said during the hearing, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “So I figured I might as well. I was really in pain that day.”

Shapiro said she left her vehicle for about six minutes to pick up something from Rosie.

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Town To Widen Parking Spaces in Playhouse Lot

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Town officials say they intend to widen the parking spaces in the lot behind the Playhouse this spring, and to improve the accessibility between that lot and Elm Street below. The width of the parking stalls in the Playhouse Lot currently is 8 to 8.5 feet, and the new width will be 9 feet throughout with a depth of 18 feet, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann. The new parking stall will be “similar to what we did at Morse Court,” he told members of the Parking Commission during an update at their Feb. 5 meeting. “We’re going to hope that we do not lose any spaces on the last two stalls,” he said during the meeting, held via videoconference.

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Town Upholds $50 Ticket Issued To Woman Who Parked on Sidewalk

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Town officials on Wednesday night upheld a $50 ticket issued to a Ridgefield woman for parking on a sidewalk alongside the Locust Avenue Lot. 

Allison Butash told members of the Parking Commission during an appeal hearing that she didn’t know she’d hopped the granite curb and parked on the brick sidewalk near the Post Office. “I apparently went over the curb and it’s a very small curb so I didn’t even know I had gone over it, and apparently in doing so the back of my car was mostly on the sidewalk,” Butash said during the hearing, held via videoconference. “But I was more concerned with the front part of my car, because I didn’t want it to block the turn-in to the parking lot and the fire hydrant that was there. So I completely had no idea I was on the curb when I left my car. I didn’t turn around, I didn’t look.

Government

Town Voids Ticket Issued to Local Woman for Parking in Town Hall Lot

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The New Canaanite 2024 Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. In what was deemed a misread of the situation, town officials this month voided a ticket issued to a local woman for parking in the Town Hall lot. Members of the Parking Commission during their July 10 meeting voted 3-0 to void a ticket that had been issued to Marnie Miller for parking in the lot behind the municipal building while appearing to have no Town Hall business. During her appeal hearing, held at Town Hall and via videoconference, Miller said she had come to register her dogs at Town Hall but stopped in Greenology for a drink beforehand. During that small timeframe, she had been issued the ticket, with the officer believing she was using the lot for other business. 

“I came to register my dogs and it was hot so I popped across the street,” Miller said.